by Jeff Renton, media/communications, the Woodbine Entertainment Group

Toronto, February 4, 2005… Grand Bend Turbo and Jiffy Popcorn both took the gate-to-wire route in the C$16,000 second leg of the Snowshoe Pacing Series for three and four-year-olds Friday evening at Woodbine. For the second consecutive week, Grand Bend Turbo ($4.80, $3.20, $3.10) and his co-owing driver, Reg Gassien, wired their foes, as they stopped the clock in 1:53.4 in the opening split.

Leaving from post position number four in the eight-horse field, Grand Bend Turbo (Camluck—Sweet Meant To Be) cut the fractions in :26.4, :56 and 1:24.4, respectively, before coming home in a 29-second final quarter for the 1¾-length tally.

Driving a 39-1 shot for conditioner Craig Barss, Anthony MacDonald and Compris Hanover ($16.60, $8.30) completed the $86.10 exactor. Driven by Luc Ouellette for trainer Louie Eftimiadis, Pacific Jerry (3.90) finished 3¾-lengths back in third and bottomed out the $407.30 triactor.

Trained by Cal Campbell for Gassien, Jim Ainsworth and William Boden, Grand Bend Turbo now has a record of 3-1-0 after five starts.

First at every call in the second division, Jiffy Popcorn ($23.40, $8.20, $4.20) and driver Mark MacDonald recorded a three-length margin of victory as they put in a 1:54.3 mile.

Conditioner Harold Stead – who also co-owns the four-year-old gelding – made an equipment change before the event, as Jiffy Popcorn switched from an Open to a Kant See Back Bridle.

Leaving from post position number four in the reduced field of eight, Jiffy Popcorn recorded the fractions in :27.3, :57.3 and 1:26 before coming home with a :28.3 final panel.

Owned by Stead along with Decision Theory Inc., Jiffy Popcorn (Village Jiffy—Armbro Iona) notched his first on-the-board finish in four tries this season with the win.

A 22-1 shot, Nell Fire ($13.40, $7.00), who was driven by Mike Saftic for trainer Ed Peconi Jr., rounded out the $204.90 exactor. Aweek At The Beach ($2.20), who was driven by Rick Zeron for trainer Chadwich Schmiedge, finished 4¾-lengths back and completed the $915.50 triactor.

“Electric” in Friday’s Open

In rein to Mark MacDonald for trainer Michael Grant, Valley Electric ($6.00, $3.20, $3.40) prevailed in the C$45,000 Fillies & Mares Open Pace Friday night at Woodbine after stopping the timer in a new life’s mark of 1:51.2.

Sitting at the back of the reduced six-horse field through fractions of :27, :55.4 and 1:23.3, the five-year-old daughter of Electric Yankee—Fox Valley Godiva fired home strongly for MacDonald after being positioned third-over.

Lookettepoedunk ($3.80, $3.10), who was driven by Mike Saftic for trainer Brett Robinson, finished 3¾-lengths back in second and rounded out the $31.00 exactor. Trained by Torgeir Hagmann and driven by Jody Jamieson, Shy Ticket A ($5.00) was 4¾-lengths back in third and was the final piece to the $145.80 triactor.

A homebred of Wolcottville, Indiana’s William Huggins, Valley Electric now has a 2-2-1 record.

NOTES

Mark MacDonald’s win with Valley Electric gave him a sweep of the early daily double, as he had scored in the night’s opening race with the eight-year-old trotting mare Winds Of The Spur ($7.60) in 1:58.3.

In the evening’s fourth race, a claiming handicap for trotters, Paul MacDonell drove Winners Touch to victory from the 10-hole in a mile timed in 1:58.2. Racing as an 11-1 in his first start for trainer/co-owner Dave Menary, the seven-year-old American Winner gelding returned $25.60 for the win.

Shipps Pinnacle, an eight-year-old chestnut gelding, snapped a long winless string in the night’s sixth race – an C$18,000 conditioned trot. Returning $10.00 to win after putting in a 1:56 mile, the Kevin McMaster-trained and co-owned performer notched his first win since November 13, 2003.

Rick Zeron bagged the ninth and tenth races on the night. After leaving from the rail in the ninth dash – a C$24,000 conditioned pace – he brought Heavenly Sign home in 1:53 and returned $6.70 on a winning ticket. In the tenth race – a C$15,000 event for C$22,000 claiming pacers – Zeron converted a win from the outside 10-hole with Clear Blue Sky in 1:53.2. Sent off at odds of 22-1, the five-year-old Perfect Art gelding returned $47.80 to win and topped a $2,229.10 triactor.